History of Fast Food

This Page consists of the major events that have occured in fast food throughout its existence.

Carl N. Karcher

Carl N. Karcher was one of the founding fathers of fast food as he had opened a hot dog stand

Jesse G. Kirby's Pig Stand

Kirby's "Pig Stand" in Texas soon became popular in Los Angeles, and had a curb side food service system

Carl Karcher's Drive-In Barbeque

January 16, 1945

Karcher's Drive-In Barbeque was a small building with him as the cook, his wife working at the cash register, and carhops serving the food.

McDonald's Famous Hamburgers

1937

In !937 Richard and Maurice McDonald opened a drive-in restaurant in Pasadena in southern California, serving their customers mainly hot dogs, with the help of carhops.

1948

In 1948 McDonald's fired all of its carhops, installed larger grills, eliminated nearly two thrids of their menu items(getting rid of everything requiring forks, knives, and spoons), and replaced dishes and glassware with paper bags, plates, and cups. They also divided the food preparation tasks into separate jobs, and they introduced the first drove through service, although people didn't like that too much to beggin with.

Carl's Jr.

1956

Carl Karcher opened the first Carl's Jr. Restaurant in 1956 after visiting a McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino. This first self service system of his was a major success, so he soon opened others like it.

The Followers

Entrepreneurs appeared from all over the country at the San Bernardino McDonald's, and returned home to imitate the restaurant

Taco Bell

Glen W. Bell, Jr. used McDonald's assembly line system to make Mexican food.

Keith G. Cramer

1953

Cramer owned Keith's Drive-In Restaurant, but after eating at a McDonald's, opened the first Insta-Burger King with his father-in-law.

Wendy's Old-Fashioned Hamburgers

Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy's in Columbus, Ohio

Kentucky Fried Chicken

1952

Harland Sanders opened the first Kentucky Fried Chicken, and dressed up like a Kentucky colonel to promote the new chain since it had a lack of finacial funds.